US Democrats launch Belgium voter drive

10 February 2004

BRUSSELS – Supporters of the US Democratic party on Tuesday called on expat Americans living in Belgium to register to vote in this year’s presidential elections.

Democrats Abroad (DA), the organisation behind the registration drive, insisted it was not simply trying to sign up Democrats.

“This is a non-partisan initiative,” DA voter registration co-ordinator Chris Horton told Expatica.

“On this occasion we will be just as happy to sign up Republican voters as Democrats because this next election will be incredibly important. It is vital that whoever wins is elected with a really clear mandate,” she added.

The result in the 2000 election was so close that after weeks of inconclusive recounts the US Supreme Court controversially ended up handing George W Bush the keys to the Whitehouse.

DA will be organising their voter drive on Sunday 15 February in Brussels.

They say expats who wish to apply for an overseas voting slip must be 18 years old or over on 2 November this year and must provide proof of citizenship, for example a passport or social security number.

“The procedure really isn’t complicated. You just have to fill in a form and post it off. Then around about October you will receive your ballot paper,” said Horton.

It’s estimated that there are between six and seven million Americans living outside of the United States at any given time. During the 2000 election many of these expats did not bother to vote.

Earlier this month the US defence department announced that it would be scrapping a controversial online voting service for expats because the service contained too many security flaws.

For more information on DA voter registration drive, including details of the venue:
[email protected], Chris Horton: 0474 293 180

Subject: Belgian news